Inspired by antiquity the Art-Ikythera Mechanism

On display at Hilton-Asmus Contemporary is the world's first sculpture of what is considered the world's oldest computer, the Antikythera Mechanism (est. 205 BC). The ancient device, strongly connected to the workshop of artisans directly working with the legendary inventor/polymath Archimedes of Syracuse (215 BC), had a complexity not equaled for 1500 years after its inception. The hand-cranked, bronze-geared device, confirmed by the construction of three separate working models post-2005, was an astronomical calculator consisting of 20 to 40 gears, cogs, and other accoutrements. Among other functions, it tracked motions of the five known planets of that era, predicted lunar and solar eclipses to the precise day and hour thousands of years in advance in accordance with its 18,000-year Saros calendar, and informed of various cultural events including when to host the ancient Olympic games every four years. It was a quantum-leap advance for its day, a mysteriously and bafflingly complex device which demands a rewrite of textbooks worldwide on the capabilities of the ancients.
 
Artist, writer, inventor and historian Terry Poulos will be presenting his modern rendition of the world's oldest computer based on the Antikythera Mechanism, a hand powered astronomical calculator dating back to 205 BC.

A natural storyteller, native Chicagoan Terry Poulos, whose coin commemorating the Antikythera Mechanism is in the permanent collection of the British Museum, will recount the history of his inspiration and discuss the process of creating the ART-ikythera sculpture and his other sculpted works Archimedes Vortex and Atlantean Continuum on Wednesday, January 27th. Having closely followed science, math, philosophy, nature, and archeology for 20 years, and having read myriad books and periodicals and combined with interviews and research/writing for feature articles on various scientists, Poulos has acquired a profound appreciation for and insight into the sciences and humanities. He is a member of the Classical Arts Society of the Art Institute of Chicago, co-founder of Chicago's Greek Media Club, and a Charter Member of the National Hellenic Museum.

Poulos is the first artist to present his work in the Inspired by Antiquity series, which parallels the Field Museum's groundbreaking exhibition "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great," on display from November 2015 through April 2016. While "The Greeks" sheds light on the fascinating history of ancient Greece and Rome, Inspired by Antiquity illustrates the unbroken line of inspiration in art from ancient times to the present.